What's your favorite cookie exchange recipe?

[smomom]

I have a cookie exchange in a week and I am still looking for my recipe. I tried Rebecca's Andes mint cookies. They were great, but didn't quite hit the spot with my pregnancy-confused taste buds. Does anyone else have any yummy recipes that they would like to share?

thanks!

[rrosen]

Well, I don't know if you will trust a recipe from me again but, this one is a favorite of mine. Actually, it is several different types of cookie bars that all use the same shortbread base. They are easy to make in large quantities for a cookie exchange. My personal favorite is the pecan-pie cookie bar. I get lots of requests for those.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/101161
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/101164/
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/101166/
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/101163/
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/101162/

HTH

[smomom]

oh Rebecca.... of course I will try another recipe from you.

Under normal circumstances I would gobble up the mint cookie recipe, but my taste buds have gone haywire. It's so frustrating. I have 2 boxes of Girl Scout thin mints on order to be delivered in January. Hopefully I'll reacquire my taste for mint by then.

Thanks for posting these links!

[TraciG]

Rebecca can u post the mint cookie recipe again, mmmmmmmm I love chocolate mint ! I put the shortbread recipes in my favorites, going to try the brownie one, thanks

[psophia17]

I've never done a cookie exchange - how does it work?

I have baked many, many cookies...a couple of old stand-bys (top two) and my current fave are:

Butter Cookies:
4 sticks butter (or 3/1 or 2/2 butter/margarine), softened
2 cups sugar
4 cups flour
dash baking powder
dash salt
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

heat oven to 325, mix ingredients in a large bowl with your hands (the heat is good for the butter) until they're an even dough, roll into logs (wrap in wax paper) and refrigerate for 1/2 an hour; when firm, slice into 1/4 inch disks, arrange on cookie sheet about 1.5 inches apart, and bake until the edges are golden, about 10-15 minutes. Let cool a few minutes until they firm up enough to remove from the cookie sheet.

Jan Hagel (pronounced like yahn hah-hul):
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg, separated
2 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts

Heat oven to 325, mix butter, sugar, egg yolk, flour, and cinnamon in a large bowl with your hands until they're an even dough. Press evenly into a cookie sheet with edges all the way around (I use a 12x24, but any size will do alright). Beat egg whites to a stiff peak and spread onto cookie dough (it will be lumpy). Sprinkle chopped nuts evenly onto egg-white topped cookie dough. Press nuts into dough using your hands. Bake until egg whites are golden brown and edges of dough are golden, about 12-15 minutes. Cut into 1x3 (or so) inch bars, remove from cookie sheet and let cool on sheets of wax paper - they will crisp up as they cool

Chewy Coconut Cookies:
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cup flaked coconut

heat oven to 350; sift together flour, baking soda, and salt, set aside; cream butter and sugars until smooth, beat in the egg and vanilla until light and fluffy; gradually mix in the flour mixture, then mix in the coconut; drop by teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet, about 3 inches apart; bake until golden, about 8-10 minutes.

[rrosen]

Tracy,
Here is the orig. thread.
http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=37&topic_id=148333&mesg_id=148333&listing_type=search

[DebbieJ]

petra,

Are you of Dutch descent? I've never met anyone outside of my Dutch-American circle who knows what Jan Hagels are!

~ deb
Mommy to my sweet boy
B born 12/03
http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/10023.jpg http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/10029.gif

[zuzu]

We'll have to try the coconut ones for DD. She loves coconut and the only thing I could think of to make for a treat were macaroons.
Thanks, Petra!

Melissa, mom to Sarah (5/03)

[Oregonmother]

made these a couple of days ago and they are delicious. I sent a few home with my dad and he had to call me later to tell me how great they were. He stopped by yesterday for more too! The mint is just perfect. Thanks for the recipe.

[pritchettzoo]

If your tastebuds haven't returned to normal, just freeze the Thin Mints! They're better that way anyway! :)

Here's my really easy and tasty shortbread (stolen from Martha):
Basic Shortbread

Makes 36 bars
This buttery cookie gets better with age: It can be stored up to a month, and over that time its flavor deepens. Dip the tips of the cookies in melted chocolate for a decorative touch.

1 1/3 cups (2 sticks plus 6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 275°. Butter a 9-by-13-by-1-inch baking pan, and line bottom with parchment paper. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add salt and vanilla, and beat to combine. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, beating on low speed until just combined.

2. Press dough into prepared pan, leveling and smoothing the top. Using a dough scraper or the back of a knife, cut dough lengthwise into nine strips, each slightly less than 1 inch wide. Cut the strips crosswise into thirty-six 3-inch bars. Using the tines of a fork or a wooden skewer, create a decorative pattern on the surface.

3. Bake shortbread until evenly pale golden, but not browned, 70 to 85 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool. Invert pan, and remove parchment. Turn shortbread over, and carefully break, or cut with a serrated knife, into bars. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Anna
Mama to Gracie (Sept '03)
and One More (coming July '05)

[psophia17]

Both of my parents were born in Holland - Ik kan Nederlandse praaten, maar ik kan it niet schriven or leizen... ;)

Jan Hagels were my absolute favorite cookies until I found the Chewy Coconut Cookie recipe...

[psophia17]

The coconute ones are great - like macaroons in flavor, but not in appearance or texture. They are also a ton less dense and rich, even if they are more buttery...but there's not actually too much butter in them...

Plus if you make the dough in a stand mixer (I LOVE my Kitchenaid) making them takes 5 minutes...seriously.

Enjoy :)

[MelissaTC]

Whoops!

[MelissaTC]

I recently made these for an exchange.

Peanut Butter Bars

1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. quick cooking oats
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
ICING:
1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
2 tbsp. creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp. milk

In a mixing bowl, cream butter, sugars, and peanut butter. Mix in egg and vanilla. Combine flour, oats, baking soda and salt; stir into creamed mixture.

Spread into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 10 minutes. Combine icing ingredients; drizzle over bars. Yields 3-4 dozen (which wasn't the case for me but maybe I did something wrong!)

[zuzu]

I'm always looking for any excuse to drag out the Kitchenaid! I was thinking they sounded a little lighter than macaroons. I can't eat more than one of those at a time though, so maybe these aren't such a great idea. ;) I'm looking forward to making some soon.

Melissa, mom to Sarah (5/03)

[psophia17]

I just made them (talking about them made me want them?) and it took longer to drag the Kitchenaid out of hiding and set it up than to make the cookies...and the recipe makes just over 2 dozen, so tat's as many as you can eat in one sitting ;)

[jubilee]

Sarah (mamahill) shared a recipe for Chocolate chip Pumpkin cookies back in November that is WOW! Those cookies have become my favorite. I've also changed it to be raisins instead of chocolate chips, but it is best with the chocolate. if you search the lounge for chocolate and pumpkin, you'll find it in a Brownie Fairy thread.

[rrosen]

Here is Sarah's recipe for others who were interested:
1cup butter
3 cup sugar
2 eggs
2teaspoon vanilla
5 cups of flour
16 oz pumpkin (I used half of a 29oz can)
1teaspoon ground cloves
1teaspoon salt
2teaspoon baking soda
2teaspoon baking powder
1teaspoon nutmeg
2teaspoon Cinnamon
1 (12oz) pkg of choc. chips

Preheat oven to 350, cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla, eggs, and pumpkin. Add dry ingredients, and mix; add chips. Drop by teaspoons onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 350 for 10-15 minutes. Makes about 5 dozen. Enjoy!

[zuzu]

I'm going to ask DH to pick up some coconut tonight. Do you use sweetened or unsweetened?
Thanks! I can't wait to try them. I'll just have to remember I'm making them for Sarah. ;)

Melissa, mom to Sarah (5/03)

[Dcclerk]

This is one of my all-time favorite cookies. It has become a tradition for the last few years to bake cookies for the staff at work, and they are now the most asked-for item :)

I don't like orange peel in stuff, so I leave that out, but other than that, here is the receipe:

Coconut-Cranberry Chews
Ingredients:
• About 1½ cups (¾ lb.)butter,
at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 Tablespoon grated orange peel
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 large egg
• 3¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1½ cups dried cranberries
• 1½ cups sweetened flaked dried coconut

Instructions:
1. In a large bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat 1½ cups butter, sugar, orange peel, and vanilla until
smooth. Beat in egg, until well blended.
2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture, stir to mix, then beat on low
speed until dough comes together, about 5 minutes (see notes). Mix in cranberries and coconut.
3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place about 2 inches apart on buttered 12" x 15" baking sheets.
4. Bake in a 350°F regular or convection oven until cookie edges just begin to brown, 11 to 15 minutes (shorter
baking time will yield a chewier cookie; longer baking time will yield a crispier cookie). If baking two sheets at
once in one oven, switch their positions halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then
use a wide spatula to transfer to racks to cool completely.

Yield: About 6 dozen cookies

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 hour

NOTES: The mixture may look dry until it comes together as a dough. If its too crumbly to form into balls, the
dough need to be mixed longer; it should be a smooth homogeneous mass.

Per cookie: 92 cal., 45% (41 cal.) from fat; 0.7 g protein; 4.5 g fat (2.8 g sat); 12 g carbo (0.4 g fiber); 58 mg
sodium; 13 mg chol.
Source: Recipe developed by Sunset Magazine Test Kitchens

[psophia17]

I've used sweetened when I've made these cookies, although the recipe didn't specify. I imagine unsweetened would work, but I don't think I've ever seen it in the store...

[TraciG]

thanks Rebecca

[DebbieJ]

Cool! I'm actually third generation American (my great grandparents immigrated from Friesland in like 1905) so I don't know any of the language, but we still enjoy the sweets!

~ deb
Mommy to my sweet boy
B born 12/03
http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/10023.jpg http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/10029.gif